The England Chronicles
by HPDrummerman
Summary: Taking place during the France trip, picking up where What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? left off, Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Snoopy, and Woodstock make it back to England before returning to America where further adventures commence, including a visit to Buckingham Palace.
1. Chapter 1

The England Chronicles

(The Third Chapter in the _Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown_ Saga)

**CHAPTER 1: MEMORIES OF FRANCE**

One day, Charlie Brown was at home looking through a photo album at pictures from his France trip. He saw pictures of him, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Snoopy, and Woodstock during the Foreign Exchange they were on. He also saw pictures of his French friends Pierre and Violette. Before he started dating Frieda, he thought about Violette often and even wrote to her a few times. Marcie, before she was with Hans, also thought about Pierre and their romance that they had, which Peppermint Patty was oblivious to, as she thought Pierre had a crush on her.

Frieda had walked in and greeted her boyfriend. "Hey, sweetie," she said.

"Oh hey, Frieda," said Charlie Brown, looking up from the photo album to kiss his girlfriend. She sat next to him in the recliner.

"So what are you looking at, hun?" Frieda asked.

"Oh, I was just going through my old photos of our time away for Foreign Exchange a few years back. Patty was a handful to deal with, to say the least."

"I can imagine. But what got you looking at these old photos?"

"Well I was thinking about our trip as a whole. I was also thinking about how we temporarily go lost in France and ended up at Omaha Beach where the troops landed on D-Day back in 1944 during World War II. Linus was giving us the history about that time."

"Ever keep in contact with your friends from France?"

"Well Violette and I kind of lost contact after a while. The Chateau was sold to a businessman and Violette and her uncle moved away. She never sent another letter after that. Probably lost my address. It's just as well with you in my life now."

"Aww, baby."

"As far as Pierre goes, Marcie talked to him more than I did. But I'm not sure they kept in contact after she and Hans started dating. Anyway, I was also thinking about how we finally made it back to the hovercraft that brought us there. We finally had Marcie talk to folks who knew their way around and we ended up outside of Paris. When we finally got back to the train to head back to England, we went to the airport. Because we missed our flight back to America, we were stuck in England for a few days. The airport set us up in a hotel where we could stay until we could go back home. And that's where a whole new adventure began…"

**NEXT CHAPTER: LONDONTOWN**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: ADVENTURES IN LONDON**

_AUTHORS NOTE: From here on out, Charlie Brown will narrate the story. His narration will be in italics like this text. And now our story continues…_

_**A few years prior…**_

_We ended up in London where we would stay a few days waiting for our next flight home. There were other flights back to America that were leaving earlier, but they were already booked solid. So we decided to do some sight-seeing and possibly take in some attractions._

"Well it looks like we're stuck here for a few days, gang," said Linus. "We might as well go do some sight-seeing and have some fun while we wait to get back home."

"Had we not gotten lost in France, we may have been on our way back by now," Marcie observed. Everyone looked at Snoopy, who just grinned with embarrassment.

"What should we do first?" asked Charlie Brown.

"How about we go check out the British Museum?" suggested Linus.

"Great idea, Linus," said Peppermint Patty. And the kids hailed a taxi and they were on their way to the British Museum. On the way there they saw the river Thames and Big Ben, the large famous clock tower. They were taking in the sights.

_England was as beautiful as I remembered it when we first got there on the way to France. But we didn't have time to let it sink in that time because we were waiting for our train that day. Now with a little more time we could do some stuff and possibly even go to some different places._

At the museum, the kids were looking at many of the artifacts and exhibits that were displayed around. Linus and Charlie Brown took pictures, while Peppermint Patty and Marcie walked around and took in all of the wonders there. Snoopy and Woodstock also enjoyed the museum.

"There's a lot of neat stuff here, Linus," said Charlie Brown in awe.

"There sure is, Charlie Brown," Linus agreed. "Make sure you get plenty of pictures to look at back home." And they continued taking pictures.

"Isn't this place beautiful, Marcie?" asked Patty to Marcie.

"Definitely, sir," Marcie replied. "Kind of makes it worth getting lost in France, otherwise we would have missed out on this."

_Pretty soon after the museum, we went to an English restaurant to get a bite to eat. Snoopy came, of course, and got a table all his own. With Woodstock, of course._

The waiter came up and ask, "G' evening to y' all. What would you be a fancying tonight?"

"I'll try the fish and chips," said Charlie Brown.

"I'll have the same," said Linus.

"Fish and chips works for me, as well," Peppermint Patty responded.

"Looks like we'll all have fish and chips," Marcie said, finishing the orders.

"Okay, four fish 'n chips," the waiter read off. "What'll you be 'avin' to drink?"

"Root beers all around," said Linus.

"Okay we 'ave four fish 'n chips and four birches," the waiter read off. "Be right back with yer drinks."

Later, Snoopy was eating some steak, a baked potato, corn on the cob, some rolls, and, as always, a mug of root beer. Woodstock was sharing in the food since he was much smaller and it didn't take much for him to get stuffed. The kids at their table got their fish and chips. Peppermint Patty looked confused.

"I thought we were getting chips," she said, "but all we got are French fries!"

"That's what they call chips here, sir," Marcie explained. "What we call fries back home, Englanders call chips."

"I'll never understand the lingo here," Patty sighed.

"Chips or fries, they're still good," said Charlie Brown, eating his meal.

"Just eat your food, Chuck!" moaned Patty.

"Cool it, sir!" Marcie remarked. And the kids finished their meals. After they paid for them, they went back to the hotel to get some sleep.

_Somehow, Snoopy was able to get the penthouse suite for him and Woodstock, while we had normal hotel rooms with two beds and a bathroom. While we were sharing rooms, my dog was living like a king, complete with complimentary room service._

**NEXT CHAPTER: WELCOME TO THE PALACE**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: A DAY AT THE PALACE AND THE CATHEDRAL**

_ The next day we went to Buckingham Palace. I gotta say that was a sight to see. Never in my life would I think I would be standing in front of the palace where the royals lives. There was even a guard standing at the gate complete with the fuzzy hat._

The kids looked at the guard who just stood there and not move a muscle. The kids had seen military people before, but a royal guard was something new to them.

"I wonder how they stand there all day and not move a muscle?" Peppermint Patty wondered. "They don't even crack a smile or anything."

"They have a duty to do, Patty," said Linus. "Every day, a guard stands at the gate and must stay there motionless and not leave his post until dismissed by another guard taking his place. It's done in the military, as well."

"Don't they get lunch breaks, or something?" wondered Patty.

"I think they eat after they're dismissed, sir," suggested Marcie.

"I don't know if I could do a job like that," said Charlie Brown. "I'd probably faint."

"And then probably get court martialed, Chuck," added Patty. "Though then again, it's not a job for everybody." And the kids moved on and continued to look around.

_ After seeing the palace, we made our way to St. Paul's Cathedral, where we got to tour the inside of the cathedral. Let me just say the architecture was amazing._

"Wow!" said Charlie Brown in awe. "This place is beautiful!"

"It sure is, Chuck," agreed Patty. "They don't make buildings like this anymore."

Linus picked up a pamphlet and started reading from it. "_The St. Paul Cathedral was built in 1675. It opened its doors and had its first service in 1697, but was not completed until 1710._ This cathedral is over 1400 years old."

"Good grief, that's a long time!" said Charlie Brown.

"Let's keep looking," said Linus. And the kids continued to tour the cathedral. While looking around Linus bumped into a girl who happened to be with her parents.

"Oops, sorry," said the girl.

"No it's all right," said Linus. "I bumped into you. So I'm the one who's sorry."

"No, it's quite all right," the girl responded. "I noticed your accent. You're from America?"

"I am. I'm here with my friends. We just got back from France on Foreign Exchange for our schools and we're here waiting to get back home. We figured we tour some of London's attractions before it was time to leave."

"Oh, I'm glad you're enjoying our country. My name is Sophia. What's yours?"

"My name is Linus. Linus Van Pelt."

"Well it's very nice to meet you, Linus Van Pelt. Tell me how long are you in town for?"

"We still have a couple of days before we head back to America."

"Sound good. Give me the number of the hotel you and your friends are staying at. There's a carnival going on tomorrow and I want to invite all of you to some fun."

And Linus wrote down the phone number to the hotel and gave Sophia the room number so she could get in contact with Linus. At that moment, Charlie Brown and the rest came in.

"Hey, Linus," Peppermint Patty began. "Who's your new lady friend?"

"Guys, this is Sophia," Linus said. "Sophia, this is Charlie Brown, my best friend, this is Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and this is Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy, and his friend Woodstock."

"Nice to meet you, Sophia," said Charlie Brown.

"How are you, kid?" said Patty.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance," said Marcie, politely. And Snoopy merely kissed Sophia's hand.

"Pleased to meet you all," said Sophia. "I was just telling your friend, Linus, that there's a carnival happening tomorrow, and I would like to take all of you there for some fun."

"All right!" said a happy Patty. "You don't have to ask me twice!"

"Okay then, I will meet up with you tomorrow," Sophia replied. "Right now I need to meet back up with my mum and dad. Cheerio!"

"Wow," said an awestruck Patty. "I could get used to the Brits' lingo around here. 'Cheerio'! I like that!"

"It doesn't take much to amaze Peppermint Patty," Marcie whispered to Charlie Brown, who just chuckled a bit. And the kids left the cathedral and headed out for dinner.

_We couldn't wait for the next day. Our new friend, Sophia, was going to take us to a carnival. We were in for some big fun and thrills. Of course I was hoping I wouldn't make a fool of myself on the rides like getting sick or nauseous like I usually did. Luckily I had some medicine in case of something like that happened._

**NEXT CHAPTER: ROMANCE ON THE MERRY-GO-ROUND**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: FUN AND GAMES WITH SOPHIA**

_ The next day, we all met up with Sophia and went to a nearby park where they were having the carnival. They had a ton of rides there like a merry-go-round, a gondola wheel, some games where you could win prizes, and even a roller coaster. All of us were excited to go, but no one more so than Peppermint Patty._

"C'mon, Chuck, we don't want to keep Sophia waiting!" said an anxious Patty at Charlie Brown and Linus's room door. "She wanted to meet us at 10, and it's almost 9:45 now."

Unbeknownst to her was that Charlie Brown and Linus were already out of their rooms and they saw Patty "talking to them" from outside their door.

"Patty, we're already ready to go," said Linus. Patty turned around to see the two boys already out of their room. She got mad.

"Well you made me look like a fool again, Chuck!" she fumed.

"But…" Charlie Brown was about to protest, when Marcie walked up towards the group.

"Don't even bother, Charles," said Marcie. "You will never win with Peppermint Patty. Common sense is lost on her."

"What did she say?" asked a confused Patty to Linus.

"Nothing," said Linus, trying to save face. "Let's just meet up with Sophia and go to the carnival."

"Oh yeah," Patty said, forgetting why she was upset. "C'mon, gang! Let's go have some fun!" And the gang all left for the park where the carnival was. Snoopy and Woodstock met them in the lobby and joined them.

"Thanks for the save, Linus," said Charlie Brown.

"No problem, Charlie Brown," Linus replied. "Dealing with Lucy on a daily basis prepared me in dealing with dense girls that don't seem to get it."

_ We all met with Sophia and went to the carnival. We had a blast there. Patty, of course, dragged me on the extreme rides like the roller coaster and the bumper cars. Marcie was with Snoopy riding the rides, as well. Linus and Sophia went off somewhere. We don't know where they went off to, but we figured we'd run into them later._

Linus and Sophia were sitting on a bench by a concession stand. They were getting to know each other. Sophia was intrigued by the American boy, and he was in awe of the British girl. They seemed to like each other very much.

"So what is it like in America, Linus?" asked Sophia.

"Well, it is kind of like here," Linus began, "though except for the big cities, homes are more spread out, and we drive on the right side of the road instead of the left side like here. Our money are in dollars and cents. Plus we use the US measuring system more than the metric system. While we do use the metric system on some stuff like bottles of soda or food, instead of kilometers per hour, we use miles per hour. And instead of measuring in centimeters, we measure in inches and feet. And while you call your fried potatoes chips, we call them fries, though we do have actual potato chips."

"Amazing!" said Sophia. "I do hope one day I visit your country."

"I hope you do, as well," Linus agreed.

"So you want to join me on a merry-go-round ride, Linus?"

"Sure, Sophia." And the two kids went on the carousel and went for a ride.

Meanwhile Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty met back up with Marcie, Snoopy, and Woodstock. They were all looking for Linus and Sophia.

"Have you two seen Linus or Sophia?" asked Patty.

"We were looking for them as well, sir," Marcie replied.

Charlie Brown looked over and saw them on the carousel. He said, "There they are on the carousel. It looks like they're having fun together."

"We should all go on the Ferris Wheel next," Patty suggested. And as soon as the carousel ride was over, Linus and Sophia rejoined the group to go on the wheel.

Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty were looking at London in the distance from the wheel. Both of them were in awe of the view they were staring at. Patty then looked at Charlie Brown and said, "Isn't this nice, Chuck? What a way to end a great trip. Almost sad to head back home."

"I know," Charlie Brown replied. "I'm sure none of the kids back home missed me, though."

"Why would you say that, Chuck?"

"Have you met me? I'm the same kid who can't do anything right. The one nobody likes. I know Lucy and even my sister Sally will be very indifferent to my coming back, with the latter taking over my room."

"Don't worry about what the other kids think, Chuck. If they don't appreciate you, they don't deserve your friendship. Plain and simple."

_What Peppermint Patty said actually made sense. It still didn't make it any easier. I almost dreaded coming back home. While I knew that it would be great to sleep in my own bed again, after kicking Sally out of it, I knew that maybe only a handful of kids would welcome me back. For the moment, I placed that thought on the back burner, but once we got back to the hotel, I couldn't stop thinking about it._

**NEXT CHAPTER: ONE MORE DAY OF FUN**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: MORE LONDON ADVENTURES**

_ We still had one more day until we went back home, so we decided to do some random stuff. Peppermint Patty and Marcie went shopping for souvenirs, while Linus and I met up with Sophia. Snoopy and Woodstock were off on their own adventure to some English pubs to quaff root beer and play parlor games. When Linus and I met up with Sophia, we went to Royal Albert Hall to tour the place. Even though I was having a good time, I couldn't help but feel like a third wheel, as Linus and Sophia were getting closer. They didn't leave me out of anything, but I couldn't help that I may have been witnessing a date between the two of them. Still better than shopping with Patty and Marcie, where Patty would have been belittling me for my purchases or asking me for advice on stuff I didn't even know about._

Charlie Brown, Linus, and Sophia toured the Royal Albert Hall. Charlie Brown was blown away at how nice the place looked. Linus and Sophia were deep in conversation, so Charlie Brown wisely hung back to let them talk a bit. He went off on his own for a bit to look at more of the hall when he ran into Peppermint Patty and Marcie who found their way to the hall after shopping.

"Hey, what are you girls doing here?" he asked.

"We got done with our shopping early, Chuck," Patty explained, "so we figured we join up with you guys here."

"Well Linus seems to be occupied with Sophia right now," said Charlie Brown.

"I see, Charles," said Marcie. "Well, we'll keep you company. Won't we, sir?"

"Absolutely," agreed Patty. "So how about escorting us and giving us the grand tour, Chuck ol' boy?" And Charlie Brown and the girls went to look at more of the hall. They saw that a performance was happening there. When Linus and Sophia met up with them, they all went to watch the performance. It was the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing. The kids had lucked out.

"Schroeder will hate himself for missing this," joked Charlie Brown.

"I know, right?" agreed Linus. And the kids enjoyed a laugh.

_The orchestra put on a great performance. By the time it was over we needed to head back to the hotel. We would be leaving in the morning to go back home. Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and myself were already back in our rooms, but Linus wanted to say goodbye to his new friend._

"I can't believe you're going back to America tomorrow," said a sad Sophia.

"I know," agreed an equally sad Linus. "Just so you know, Sophia, I will stay in touch with you. Hopefully you can come visit one day."

"I would like that, Linus," Sophia said with a smile. "If it's alright, I want to see you and your friends off."

"I think that would be great," said Linus. "Well, I better turn in. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Pleasant dreams, Linus." And they gave each other a hug and Linus went into the hotel. Snoopy and Woodstock were already in the lobby and decided to ride the elevator with Linus. After getting off on his floor, Linus headed to his and Charlie Brown's room, and Snoopy and Woodstock continued to go up to their penthouse suite. Back in the room, Charlie Brown was in bed, but reading a book. Linus sat on his bed and sighed deeply. Charlie Brown took notice.

"You care about her, don't you, Linus?" Charlie Brown began.

"I do, Charlie Brown," said Linus. "Do you think I'll ever see her again?"

"Maybe. I may see Violette again. Who knows? All you can do is keep in touch with her. If it's meant to be, you'll know. Even I may have a chance with Violette, probably even better of a chance with her than even the little red-haired girl back home. But all we can do is see if it's meant to be with these girls."

"You're right, Charlie Brown. What have we got to lose?"

"Exactly, especially where I'm concerned."

_Linus got ready for bed and I eventually went to sleep. It was going to be a long trip home. I was dreading the jet lag I was inevitably going to have, but what can you do?_

**NEXT CHAPTER: COMING HOME**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6: WHEN IT'S TIME TO LEAVE…**

_ The last day had arrived and we were going back home. While I was worried about what kind of a reception we would get, or not get, I was also relieved that we were going back. As much as I enjoyed the trip abroad, I was ready to sleep in my own bed again. No more sleeping bags or hotels for a while. As we got to the airport, Sophia was there to see us off._

Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Snoopy were grabbing their luggage and was about to head to the gate. They waited for Linus, though, as he was saying his goodbyes to Sophia.

"Well, it's time for me to go, Sophia," he said, somberly. "I promise I will keep in touch with you."

"And I you, Linus," said a tearful Sophia. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hugged him. Peppermint Patty, Charlie Brown, Marcie, and Snoopy were watching.

"Doesn't that just tug at your heartstrings?" asked Patty, who was shedding tears herself at the scene.

"It sure does, sir," agreed Marcie.

"Chuck, I hope you're taking notes," Patty demanded. "THIS is how you be romantic!"

"Oh good grief!" groaned Charlie Brown. "I can't get home fast enough. Snoopy, remind me to unplug the phones when we get back." Snoopy nodded in agreement.

"Okay, you better join your friends, Linus," said Sophia. "I'll be waiting for your first letter, my love."

"I will write to you as soon as I get home," assured Linus. "I promise." And after another hug, he joined up with the rest and headed for the gate to their flight back to America. After boarding the plane took off. The gang were on their way back home.

_The flight back home felt like forever. We were anxious to get back on solid ground. Peppermint Patty wasn't bugging me like she had been during the trip, thankfully. I was reading a magazine that was on the plane. Linus was asleep. Probably dreaming about Sophia._

_ When we finally landed back home, I went to grab my luggage. Snoopy got all of his stuff he brought. I still can't believe he brought so much stuff. Peppermint Patty and Marcie grabbed theirs, as well. Patty got stuck on the carousel again. I admittedly got a chuckle out of that._

The kids walked out of the airport and was surprised to see Sally there waiting for them. Charlie Brown wondered why she was there.

"Hey Sally," greeted Charlie Brown.

"Hey big brother," she greeted back. Turning her attention to Linus, she began, "Well, was my brother on his best behavior? Is Interpol after him? He didn't commit an international incident, did he?"

"Relax, Sally, your brother was fine," assured Linus. "The trip was great."

"So, no trouble at all?" asked Sally.

"Aside from his normal clumsiness and wishy-washiness nothing major happened," said Peppermint Patty.

"Okay, if everyone is done wondering if I'm an international criminal and talking about my ineptitude, can we head back home, please?" said a spent Charlie Brown. And everyone left for their homes. Once the Brown siblings got back to their house, Snoopy put all of this things back in his doghouse, and put on a sleeping cap and went to the top of his house and went to sleep. Woodstock flew over to his nest and also got some shut-eye. Charlie Brown pulled out his grandfather's satchel. Sally took notice.

"What is that, big brother?" she asked.

"I got it from France," said Charlie Brown. "It belonged to grandpa. The girl who wrote me before I left was the niece of a woman grandpa met while stationed in France during the war. The niece gave it to me. When grandpa comes to visit again, I think I'll give this to him."

"Sounds like a good idea," agreed Sally.

"In the meantime, I'm going to go rest," Charlie Brown said. "I'll probably be jet-lagged for a few days, though." And Charlie Brown went to his room, which wasn't taken over by Sally for once, and got some rest.

**NEXT CHAPTER: CONCLUSION**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7: MEMORIES OF FRANCE (conclusion)**

_**Back to Present**_

Finishing up his story, Charlie Brown said to Frieda, "Linus kept his promise and wrote to Sophia often, and she wrote back. Eventually, just like me and Violette, they lost contact with each other. But now that Linus is with Eudora, he has someone that loves him here at home. Just like I have you, Frieda."

"What a wonderful story, sweetie," said Frieda. "Hopefully we could go somewhere like that."

"Maybe one day, Frieda," said Charlie Brown. "Maybe one day." Sally wheeled herself over where her brother and his girlfriend were. Michael was with her, as well.

"Hey, you two," she greeted. "What were you talking to Frieda about, big brother?"

"Oh, about the time when we went to France and was furloughed in England after getting lost in France."

"You mean when Linus met that Sophia girl?" Sally said. "This was before you and I became an item, Michael."

"I understand, Sally," assured Michael.

"I remember grilling Linus about her once I learned about her," Sally recalled. "He wouldn't tell me anything, though. Now I think about it, it was silly because we weren't dating or anything."

"Never in a million years would I think Sally would finally get it," said Charlie Brown. And the kids laughed. Charlie Brown often found himself thinking about his France trip on Foreign Exchange. Though he harbored no feelings for Violette anymore, he still wondered what she was up to. He also thought about Pierre and how he was doing and if he knows about Marcie and Hans. And if Sophia moved on without Linus, because Linus had moved on and was dating Eudora. But he also thought about the experience of being in a foreign country. And if he had that chance again, he would take it, and hopefully, have Frieda at his side.

**THE END**


End file.
